BARGAINS IN BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 2

BARGAINS IN BUTTER.

BROKEN CONTRACTS;^"

BRITISHERS APPEAL TO THE PREMIER. • It lias long bocii known that tho':KW. Zealand butter factories which sold their outputs by contract at the opening of the seasoil -wore hard pressed to- bo .able .to/send home tho quantities bargained ioiyr and-ou . this page, on March- 17, wo discus'sgd,, the . . • ' chances' ot the merchants, adopting -ihe rrole " of the immortal Shylock and demanding; their full " pound of flesh." Interest in the question has beei» renewed by tho arrival by • mail from the Produce Commissioner 'm :£;ondon (Mr;-,H.-0. Cameron) of a, lettofaiaiintf V: with the subject. He says in that lejjt'dr:'—' ".I greatly.-regret having to' report, that serious charges were made to .us by several ' merchants concerning the', manner in which contracts entered into with them for:-the; sale of New Zealand factory outputs or but- ■ ter hadi'been broken. There is a string feeling that owing to tho unexpected high price that has been ruling-''this, season for • butter, shippers have been diverting part of the factory outputs and - have been either selling a quantity locally in'.the Dominion jor '. shipping it. Instances were given, in-which , ; . the Quantity of butter delivered to; tho purchaser here. was not- half that guaranteed.. ' A Naturally, merchants who had made con-'-, tracts for a certain supply had entered. into business engagements at "this end.'oiiltlie :: : estimate of the quantity arranged 'for,%dr they were being held to such bargain's, as tliey''' had made. Tlie merchants, ' however, not ' having received the stipulated quarititv, can-! 1 ' not: supply their customers, with tho'result-,;'-"• ' that while they have, to satisfy. thcirVagre^--meiits. witir their loenl customers, they '•■ can '- get no redress from the shippers iii tlm'Do- iV million.' ' The complaints,.; for which there - appear 'to be good ground, are' far,) too:V ' ; general, and the fact ik doing. a deal "of ' injury to the good name of the dairy produce' , trade of NewZoaland, owing ■to -the sus- , picion thati is cast on tho business morality I.'1.' of those in it. > No ~ satisfactory , reason'can be'assigned for the crc'at deficit in, the, quantity of the butter delivered i from v that contracted for. It is -known, that'the; if--season , has not been so unusually dry as .to account, for it, and no information has beeiiv'. '? received that the quantity produced in those*.;;, W factories making butter lias' -'shown ' aiiy,: *■'<} serious decline. Naturally, therefore;'strong'?•'* suspicion exists' in 'the'minds, of.'merchants,*; ; ,'i •who -have purchased' forward; 'that ' ; , •„ not receiving fair treatment.' The complaints.' 1 , ' : have been so numerous .and serious '.that, "'hs ■']' "instructed by' you, a cablegram',has~''b&'ii I'V", dispatched to the Prime Minister; infoifmihg- V : him of....the charges' made,'..and 'asking thd\\ •" reason for the deficiency in' tho supply. ,It ■ is hoped that the renlv will bo an explana- ' tion 'to the purchasers." . i'" The Cable Messages. ; The cable message sent bv Mr. Camerot to the Premier, ( Sir Joseph Ward, bore thi ' date of February 19, and was as follows:— . •' "I-have received-complaints, that facr', .. - ; tories aire not shipping'; amounts of ,butr ' : • ter contracted for. Buyers- under mi-. pressio'n ..quantities, being, diverted on . account rise in prices. "What cause is . thorp for; decrcaso?'', y. ;, . : ; Sir Joseph Ward replied i\s follows':— ' ' .."Small supplies going .forward '". .-'count, dry weather, throughout.Dominion. . . There is no ground .'for. 1 , complaints '. of ■ 1 butter,,being diverted." f'''." 1 ..111 I r.'.-. ;.'. IMPROVINC THE SHOWS. ."C!.' ?••!! !■• • • '. • .V",,-, SOME SDGGSSriOXS The "Canterbury' Times"' suggests that tha u ! j: shotts next season could .bo .improved' •••>• arranging tot-havo' all 'the judging 'finished ancP' the prize tickets up by noon; aiid' by bSginhing the "competitions" at one .o'clock:, and 1 finishing - them; at four,.'while there ; is' : yet idaylight. _ This,: it is' said; could. be > don'a'. • by increasing tho number'of judges;, by: eli-' rainatirig the classes for collies;'(in which a dog, whoso: abilities do not exceed worrying'' • sheep, May,' if' judged; -.0n.; appearances,- ;bo - • placed before ' one. that would win "at .a> trial); ; by dropping classes 'that have proved-to ,ba'. ill-patronised .by'. providing : secretaries -.with smple clerical assistance; and-by , other ways.- ;■ There is much: that'deservesattention in ■ ivhat the "Canterbury; Times"; says.'-' -.Lately.,.. there, has been a growing feeling among show authorities that• judges .should- judge singly • .... instead.of in parties, of two.or three.' :.This .; . is'already-done-.in some.of the best show?', but it is not universal. Early, completion; of' the judging would ibo. appreciated by the public: olid it might be just as .well to pro- - ride snb'it-antial penalties for tlioso'judges—or ■ is it the stewards?—who disappear froni the grounds immediately,after, the.judging'.with all the awards in their pockets.; There is-an- ; , . jther section, of the community to- be. con- ; sidered—rthat. portion which '.looks,-to-.the . newspapers,for.,their information. . Tho'wifo,.ivlio stays at home in order, that the husband ■ inny visit tlie show can never depend on the ivorthy : gentleman' bringing ..back a full'.; and ,; , iccurate account of every class.. • Ho may lave been completely wrapped up .in, pigs, ... vhilo her interests' have been in jams; arid, loodlowork. She- thcroforo looks to the p.v . jers. Jt will please her, as well as, those: . vjio are; present on the showground, if. tho ' . ingestions of the "Canterbury Times" are ~; / arried cut, and incidentally it will help to avc the poor reporters from ,becoming .frau-' ic. : .' ;, ■ , '" ■ ,'